MUDBLOOD
by StrangerEmotion
Summary: What can one word can do to the population of Hogwarts? Can it bring to people together? Can it wreak havoc on the lives of the Golden Trio? Sure, given the inspiration.


_**MUDBLOOD**_

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are owned by J.K. Rowling, Raincoat publishing and other deep pockets who are not me. I do not intend to make any profit from this flight of fancy, nor do I endorse others to try to do so.

He said it.

He finally said it.

He said what he had wanted to say for so many years. What he had wanted to say to her bossy know-it-all face from the moment she had introduced herself. Especially after she had led him around like her own slave. He couldn't believe that he had lasted all the way up to their final night as students of Hogwarts. He really had stamina. He would have lasted longer too if it wasn't for this last straw. He had been dating her exclusively and she still hadn't let him love her. He thought maybe she just wanted to get married before she gave it up. But she just smiled when he proposed and said "No thanks Ronald". Like it was just a treat that she didn't want because it wouldn't fatten her thighs.

So he said it.

She just looked at him unbelieving and stormed out the door, probably to the Library with her books that are so much more interesting than he.

She actually traveled deeper into Hogwarts than that. Storming through the halls, the deeper into the dungeon she traveled, the better she felt. The colder the tears felt against her cheek the more cleansed of the pain she felt. That was until she toppled into a professor and got entangled in his dark robes. The warmth of his body assaulted her and she started sobbing violently. Professor Snape twisted her over onto her back violently and assailed her with every last insulting word excluding the one she heard from Ron. She still kept on wailing even as he shook her like a rag doll. Even when he held her locked up in him, gathered up against his standard acheronian teaching robes. She just kept crying. He needed to do something but he didn't know what to do, for once. So he just got up and made to leave. The crying stopped at once but before he could get a meter away he heard a pitiful "Wait."

"I'm waiting Miss Granger." He said with no sarcasm, just indifference. Beautiful, frozen indifference.

She sniffled a moment but finally said "Have you ever c-called someone a M-mudblood?"

He looked at her with no emotion and said "Yes, but it's not something I was proud of."

He turned to leave again but again she stopped him with a pitiful "Wait."

"I suppose that's why Mr. Weasley called you that, he was tired of waiting." He said and walked down the corridor.

She laughed coldly. "Well he doesn't have to wait any longer. He and I are finished with our chess game."

"That's good to hear." He said flippantly and rounded the corner, leaving her a mess on the floor. But she had to pick herself back up again.

When she reached the corner, he was already gone.

The next morning was bright and sunny. There was nothing to study, no work to be done, nothing. Except her break up with Ronald Weasley, which she convinced herself would be nothing as well. He wasn't in the common room when she entered but she knew he had to be somewhere. So she headed to breakfast assuming she would find him there eating happily as if nothing had happened. He wasn't in there either but she was hungry so she sat down to eat. She could feel Snape looking at her the entire time, but the gaze was not judgmental, or pitying, just cold and calculating. It felt comfortable to her, like an old coat that you never want to throw away.

Halfway through her flapjacks McGonagall came up to her with her signature puppy got ran over face and told her to come to the infirmary. What could they have been doing to get hurt in mere hours? She wondered as her Transfiguration teacher led her sternly down the halls. She saw Ron lying there on pristine sheets with his eyes closed. He almost looked like an angel, if it wasn't for last night he would have. McGonagall looked at her sadly and said "Mr. Weasley overdosed on two unknown potions last night. Neville found him in the prefect's bathroom and brought him here. There may be no cure, and he may be comatose for the rest of his life."

She fell down onto the tiled floor and started to scream. She blacked out screaming.

When she woke, she was in one of the infirmary beds. She heard someone breathing lightly in a chair by her bed. But it was too dark to see who it was, besides their dark form. She sat up and leant in as close to the person as possible. It was professor Snape surprisingly enough and she touched his shoulder to wake him up. He made no motion that he was awake so she whispered quietly in what appeared to be his ear "Sir? Wake up, please." He growled lowly at that.

He caught the wrist that was on his left shoulder and pushed her back into bed, all without a sound. "I assure you Miss Granger that I was awake, very awake in fact."

She was glad that it was dark so that he couldn't see her blush. "I'm sorry Sir. I didn't know . . . I thought you were having a little catnap . . . I . . . I'm so very sorry."

He sat down by her bed and said "Ah . . . Something the esteemed Miss Granger doesn't know." He leant down close to her ear and whispered in the way she had "And since you currently aren't a student of Hogwarts you are no longer required to address me as sir. Though I must say, it does have its appeal . . . " Then something happened that has never happened before, she was rendered speechless.

"No comeback Miss Granger? Hermione..." He said her name as if he was savoring a bit of chocolate. He then traced his tongue around her earlobe. A puff of cold air told her he left her to deal with a warmth between her legs, in the infirmary.

She went to see Headmaster Dumbledore after breakfast to sort out if she wanted to go home or stay here until Ron went to St. Mungo's hospital. She waited patiently until Dumbledore opened the door and told her to take a seat. In a chair by Dumbledore's fireplace sat Severus Snape, more like glowered Snape. She sat down in the chair farthest from him and looked to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, I was wondering if I should stay here until Ron goes to..To where he's going? Or go home?"

His eyes twinkled hard at her and he said simply "You should stay for the summer." He didn't elaborate as to why and Snape seemed to sink farther down into his chair.

She looked to Dumbledore bewilderedly "But why sir?" Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair and seemed to shiver when she had said sir.

He looked at her like it was obvious but Snape got to it first "The Headmaster wishes for you to help me discover a cure for Mr. Weasley. He is very adamant that it is you and not a qualified potions assistant."

Dumbledore smiled and said "You know very well that she is more qualified than even most of the ones the universities have taught. Besides, Miss Granger has entrusted in me the information that she wants to become a potions researcher, and that she has always wanted to work with you." She couldn't remember ever telling Dumbledore that but those damned sparkly eyes unearth all.

"Indeed, well as you know Headmaster, I do not enjoy having students following me around, especially such know-it-alls as her. Not to mention her hair would get in my way." He said frostily.

She interrupted Dumbledore and said "It would be no problem . . . Sir. I would just stop washing my hair, like you do." The amalgamations of emotions that traversed his face were too funny to believe. Admiration, anger, and something akin to lecherousness.

Dumbledore cleared his throat "Now that that is settled, let us discuss where you will stay when here-"

"Can't I just stay in my old room?" She demanded.

"That would be inappropriate since you are no longer enrolled in this school. You shall now sleep, wash, and relax in three rooms adjacent to Professor Snape's rooms, in case he should need you."

Professor Snape subsequently started to choke on his tea. "What! No Headmaster, not that close to me. She will be asking to many questions. Waking me up at inappropriate times to do so. It'll be horrible"

"Get over it Severus. She will be moved there today, her stuff has already been set up." Dumbledore said with finality.

Snape became declivitous huddle, resigned to his fortune. But Hermione had additional questions. "Did Harry already go to Grimmauld Place? Will Ron be here as we work on a cure? Where exactly are my new rooms?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled "Yes, No, Severus will show you."

Snape growled and stood up. "Come on." She chased him out the door, almost forgetting to wave goodbye to the Headmaster.

A week later work began. Snape shoved a book into her hand and said read, she could have died and gone to heaven right there, if the text wasn't in another language. She rose her hand but he ignored her, she then rose and touched his arm to get his attention. He grabbed her hand and was about to break it but kissed the back of it. "Miss Granger, please do not distract me from my work."

"I just wanted to say I can't read Kanji, Sir." She said.

"What have I told you about calling me that?" He said teasingly and targeted his wand to her temple and murmured some words that were incomprehensible. "Miss Granger, haven't you ever heard of the interlingual rendition spell?"

Her brows knitted together in deep thought, she had read something about it in a book but the book didn't have the actual words to the incantation. "Yes I have but I do not know the conjuration or in what manner to execute it."

"How or what is of no matter now as you can now read," He said patronizingly "Now be a good girl and read. Or I will have to..discipline..you."

She chose to ignore his weird flirting, once again, and sat down to the book. The title read: **_Lesser known Potions ingredients of Japan_**

_By: Hinako Motoshuwa_

She opened up to the first page, which was the index, and there the words jumped out at her in sharp relief, **Nervous System Activators**, NSA's. Of course! This was exactly what they needed! She almost melted into a blob of happiness. But Snape appeared behind her and rumbled "Find what you need Miss Granger?"

She jumped slightly and answered "Yes, Sir!" She then started to read the chapter, which was about novel-length, but she knew she would fly to it just so that she would have a chance to forgive Ron of his one transgression, so that she could absolve her conscience of guilt.


End file.
